Cape Verdean President Jorge Carlos Fonseca says the archipelago’s “first priority” is to “combat” the coronavirus pandemic as he calls for more attention to the problems of small island states.

President Fonseca says 74 percent of his country’s population has been vaccinated with at least one dose but the goal is to reach 85% fully immunized by the end of October.

The Cape Verdean leader spoke this week at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Adolphus Mawolo reports.